40+ Great Food Gifts
Food gifts are one of my favorite kinds of gifts.
You don’t have to find a place to store them and they make snacking or baking or cooking more fun!
They’re perfect for the person who has everything or make great neighbor gifts!
I asked my Instagram community to share some of their favorite food gifts and there were so many great suggestions!
SALTY
Charcuterie
I would be thrilled to have a little tray of meat, cheese, and crackers! It would be such a gift to have an easy snack or lunch for my family during or after one of the busiest times of the year. If you don’t want to make your own there are several companies (that came highly recommended) that do all the legwork for you – Boarderie, Swiss Colony, Hickory Farms!
Breads
There is nothing like fresh baked bread! A focaccia bread or sourdough would be heavenly. Or, if you aren’t a huge baker, you could gift a really great loaf from your local bakery (we love Great Harvest Bread here in Utah), or Zingerman’s has some really fantastic bread options!
Nuts
Why is a handful of salted cashews so delicious?! Costco and Sam’s Club both have good sized bags for an affordable price. And if you don’t know what kind of nuts people like, get a nice bag of trail mix to have an assortment.
Savory Snack Mix
A savory mix is great to set out for snacking. Think ranch oyster crackers, Gardetto garlic chips, or a classic Chex mix!
Soft Pretzels
The 40,000 reviews have spoken and Eastern Standard Provisions has the BEST soft pretzels. They have tons of different sized boxes to choose from and there dipping sauce options have me drooling! Use this link to get a $20 discount on your order!
High End Salt
I ended up getting The Salt Bundle to give this year to several people on my list and I cannot wait! Once you use this freshly mixed salt, you won’t go back to the regular stuff.
SWEET
Local Honey
Honey is one of the pantry staples we always have on hand because we use it in a lot. And who could refuse a sweet gift like local honey? (Want something extra fun? Try this Hot Honey – so good on pizza or a taco!)
Harry and David Pears
Bart’s dad and stepmom sent up a box of these pears this year and they were DELICIOUS! This is such an easy idea if you don’t want to mess up your kitchen and want something healthy. Plus, they come in pretty packaging ready to deliver!
Baked Treats
Baked treats are always a hit around the holidays. You could easily whip up my favorite chocolate chip cookies or a batch of Salted Caramel Christmas crackers. And if you aren’t interested in making a mess, some great purchase options are Levain bakery cookies, Cheryl’s cookies, Baked by Melissa Cupcakes, Second Daughter Brownies, Caroline’s Cakes, Uncle Mike’s Kringles.
Sweet Breads
We love bread around here. Especially sweet bread. It’s gone within hours. I love making homemade pumpkin bread and homemade banana bread. Grab some cellophane, some cute ribbon and you have a fantastic gift everyone will gobble up. Another great, low time commitment but delicious option would be Sister Schuberts frozen pan of cinnamon rolls.
Nice Chocolates
Who could resist a little bag of nice chocolates – think Lindor, Ghirardelli, truffles or something special from a local chocolate company. If you really want to go down the chocolate vein, but want something unique, try out this Chuao Chocolate sampler box!
Koinonia Pecan Butter
Fancy up your regular toast or bagel with this fresh pecan butter. Organic and no added ingredients, you can’t go wrong!
Fancy Candies
Every once in a while I get a bit of a sweet tooth and would love to find a candy treat hidden away somewhere to enjoy. A homemade toffee, or a box of See’s Candies would be a welcome surprise.
Fresh Fruit
This was a brand new idea I’ve never heard of. I would be thrilled to open up a package full of Hale Groves oranges, Amy’s gourmet apples or a variety box from Miami Fruit! And if you want something that won’t spoil as quickly – dried peaches/apples or even fancy maraschino cherries make fantastic gifts too!
Ice Cream
If I had to choose only two desserts to eat for the rest of my life it would be cookies and ice cream. I LOVE good bowl of ice cream. Grab your favorite brand at the grocery store (I love Tillamook or Bluebell) and add on this ice cream scoop that trumps all other ice cream scoops out there.
Candied Nuts
One of my favorite smells at a festival is the roasting candied nuts. Whether you use pecans, almonds, or a variety, this is an easy snack that many will enjoy.
Trader Joe Goodies
Trader Joe’s has some of the most fun and unique treats and food! Whether you grab some candy (I LOVE their chocolate covered sea salt butterscotch caramels), cookies, or even fun spices, you can’t go wrong.
Homemade Lemon Curd
Since we had a lemon tree in our backyard in Arizona that was in full swing in December, this is what we took around to our neighbors the last couple of years Many people had never heard of it, but we got lots of good feedback as people discovered how delicious it is on pancakes or toast or ice cream. This is a deceptively easy recipe that they won’t be getting 20 versions of over the holidays.
Frozen Cookie Dough
The holidays are so full of cookies and treats, why not gift something they can enjoy in a month when all the holiday treats are gone? You can do this with any cookie recipe (but you can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate chip). Make dough, form into balls, and freeze.
Homemade Granola
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this! I have a granola recipe that I have been making for more than a decade and it is too good not to share!
Churro Caramel Popcorn
Only about forty times better than the popcorn that comes in a tin. The only thing better would be a churro at Disneyland. And if you want to take your neighbors to Disneyland as a neighbor gift, let me know where you live so I can move in next door to you.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
There are a lot of different ways you can do chocolate covered pretzels and they are all delicious in my book. Pretzel rods dipped in chocolate are probably the easiest and you can choose a bunch of different toppings like sprinkles, crushed peppermint or mini M&Ms. These chocolate rolo pretzels are also really easy and incredibly addicting!
Jam
One of the top responses for an adult advent calendar was Bonne Maman Jam assortment and I can attest that they are delicious! I’ve heard these Michigan made jellies from Pond Hill Farms are tasty, along with American Spoon Jams and Stonewall Kitchen.
Sparkle Maple Syrup
For a foodie or anyone who loves a little extra glitz in their life, this maple syrup filled with edible sparkles is just SO FUN.
SAVORY
Premade Mix
I really love homemade food. With that being said, when there is a premade mix that turns out just as good as homemade, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Plus, this gives the receiver the opportunity to make this when they want!
Wildgrain Subscription
For the person who loves fresh baked breads, pastries, and pasta and doesn’t have the time to make it homemade, or doesn’t have the gift of baking – this is the perfect subscription box! Items can be pre-selected, and it will arrive on your doorstep ready to be baked/cooked the way you like it!
Meat
We received Omaha steaks as a gift a couple of years ago and I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed it! I’m not one to purchase expensive, really great quality meat, so everytime we pulled out the cuts of meat given, it felt like a special treat! If steaks aren’t your thing, try out Bacon from Nueske’s or the endless options from Moink Box.
Freezer Meal
Cooking during the holidays is just one more thing to think about. Taking away the 5:30 panic of “What are we going to eat?” is a terrific gift! Great homemade ideas given included Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas, this Cheesy Baked Ziti or my homemade Lasagna recipe. If you have zero interest in cooking for yourself, let alone others, take and bake pizzas are always a hit.
Spoonful of Comfort Soup
Is there anything more delicious than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter night? Soup packages from Spoonful of Comfort are extra amazing because they come with the soup AND rolls AND cookies.
Beef Jerky
You probably know by now that my all-time favorite beef sticks are the Paleovalley ones – use the code EVERYDAYREADING.
Italian Food Basket
I don’t know what it is, but I could eat Italian food on repeat! Pastas, sauces, and drizzles…they sure know how to do it in Italy. This gift basket has everything you need for some delicious pasta!
DRINKS
Fizzy Drinks
We don’t drink much besides water at our house, so having a little fizzy drink would be a TREAT! One year we did a root beer taste testing gift. It was a huge hit and could be done with any type of fizzy drink!
Hot Chocolate Mix
Who doesn’t love a hot cocoa on a cold winter day? You could even fancy up a box of hot cocoa mix with a bag of mini marshmallows and candy canes! (This is my favorite hot chocolate mix, but you could easily pick up a box at your local grocery store.)
Local Coffee Beans
A bag of locally roasted coffee would be such a treat – and it supports local small business. For more of the subscription box route, try out Generous Coffee, 100% of their profits go to nonprofits.
Tea
If there is one thing I know about tea people – is that they really love their tea! A few fun and unique tea options to gift would be a boba tea kit or Pique Tea (its tea crystals that dissolve in water – so great for travel!)
A Bottle of Wine/Bubbly
It always seems that the classic hostess gift is a nice bottle of wine. But sometimes a nice bottle of wine is exactly what someone will enjoy for the holidays.
MISC
Spice Seasonings or Fancy Salts
It is so easy to make homemade seasonings – grab a few spices, mix them together, pour them in a jar, and voila! A taco seasoning or a rosemary lemon salt would be super fun to gift. Or if you want to pick up something in store – find some fun flavored salts or seasonings.
Olive Oil
I use olive oil practically everyday that I cook. So, I am certain that this is going to be an item that will get used until the very last drop. You could go with something generic from the grocery store, or have you heard of this fantastic olive oil!?
Homemade Vanilla
Have you ever made homemade vanilla extract? It’s super simple and is the perfect gift at the holidays! Plus this comes with some free printable tags!
Universal Yums Subscription
We are getting this subscription box for our family this year. I’ve heard about them for YEARS and this felt like the right year to test it out as a family – I think it is going to be so fun! Every month you get a box of snacks with information, games and trivia about different countries. I cannot wait! (Is this somewhat a gift for me? Yes).
Nice Balsamic Vinegar
Did you know to make really good balsamic vinegar it goes through the same process as wine!? And really long-aged vinegar has a flavor all it’s own (it’s not like the generic vinegars you find at the grocery store).
Chips & Salsa
This is such an easy, yet genius gift! I don’t know a single person who could resist chips and salsa when set out for a snack. I also love that there are so many unique salsa flavors out there to try. If you want to go the homemade route, this recipe looks easy and delicious!
Restaurant Gift Card
Whether it’s a gift card to their favorite restaurant or to somewhere new you know they’d love to try, this is a really fun gift – who doesn’t love a night to skip the dishes!?
Fun Condiments
Sometimes a little sauce or condiment can really add the perfect finishing touch to a meal! Gifting a fun hot sauce or this chili crisp would really add a little spice too!
Homemade dog treats for pets
We don’t own any pets, but my girls would love to take this on as a project. Can you imagine how happy a puppy would be if they received a little treat?!
